crane

noun \ ˈkrān \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Definition of crane

1 : any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails

2 : any of several herons

3 : an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as

a : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

b : an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles

c : a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

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Recent Examples of crane from the Web

Three months for a single go-round, with two people inside a basket the length of a van suspended by a crane high above the ground, scrubbing their way vertically from top to bottom so as to clean drips that roll down.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "Tech firms love glass skyscrapers. Window washers are cleaning up," 18 June 2018
At the event, the final letter, the K, was lowered into place by a crane for the cameras and employees.

— james b. nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New giant BUCKS sign installed in front of the arena — right outside the Bucks Pro Shop," 14 June 2018
At a topping-off ceremony attended by tribal members, company executives and invited guests, a final steel beam was hoisted by a construction crane to the roof of what will be Sycuan’s first casino hotel.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sycuan marks near-completion of first hotel," 22 May 2018
Viewers could also see a coaster vehicle being put through its paces on the bright orange rail and some footage of the oversized toy props being put into place by a crane.

— dewayne bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney shows off Toy Story Land on 'Good Morning America'," 2 May 2018
How the image of him being lifted by mechanical crane out of bed and into a hospital reclining chair like a baby bird was possibly the single most haunting image of the entire experience.

— jodie briggs, Longreads, "Growing Up Around Funeral Homes Didn’t Prepare Me for Death," 27 Mar. 2018
The video shows the dog being locked inside a cage, then suspended in the air before being spun around by a crane and dropped into water.

— ryan parker, The Hollywood Reporter, "Matthew Morrison "Outraged" Over Dog Abuse Video From 'Crazy Alien' Set," 16 Mar. 2018
Work on replacing a 500-foot-long section of Mississippi River floodwall in New Orleans' French Quarter, including pile driving by cranes, was halted Thursday (March 8) because of high river conditions, the Army Corps of Engineers said.

— mark schleifstein, NOLA.com, "High Mississippi River halts floodwall replacement in French Quarter," 8 Mar. 2018
The one at Indiana Plaza is a miniature Greek temple topped by a water crane.

— maureen groppe, Indianapolis Star, "7 sobering facts about D.C.'s temperance monument, appropriately on Indiana Plaza," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of crane

Origin and Etymology of crane

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

crane

verb

Definition of crane

craned; craning

transitive verb

1 : to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2 : to stretch toward an object of attention

craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1 : to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention

I craned out of the window of my compartment
—Webb Waldron

2 : hesitate

See crane defined for English-language learners

Examples of crane in a Sentence

We craned our necks toward the stage.
craned her head to see the roof

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

Large crowds gathered Monday night along the Detroit River and on Belle Isle, craning their necks to see the annual Ford Fireworks display.

— hasan dudar, Detroit Free Press, "Boom! Firework display awes huge crowd in Detroit, Belle Isle, Windsor," 25 June 2018
But those traveling east on the road have to crane their necks to see approaching eastbound traffic coming over a hill on the turnpike.

— peter marteka, Courant Community, "Glastonbury Looking To Align Douglas Road And Sycamore Street," 11 July 2018
The lines aren't as long and visitors won't have to contend with thousands of tourists all craning their neck to see the same thing.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Traveling Sistine Chapel exhibit reopens in Houston after a brief hiccup," 5 July 2018
The sound of the live broadcast on state television cut after the blast, and people in the crowd could be seen craning their heads in the direction of the sound.

— paul schemm, Washington Post, "Attacker throws grenade at massive rally for Ethiopia’s new reformist leader," 23 June 2018
Several of the Angels popped out of the visiting dugout, craning their necks to see what was happening.

— jeff miller, latimes.com, "Incident during Angels-Tigers game gets players loose as a goose," 31 May 2018
Within moments, fans had turned away from the game, craning their necks and pointing their cellphone cameras at the couple.

— New York Times, "Celebrities, Rain and the Red Sox Come On Strong in a Yankees Defeat," 10 May 2018
First, nine massive chunks of quarried black marble were trucked in from northern Mexico and craned into a circular formation, echoing Stone and Bronze Age erections in the British Isles.

— michael agresta, WIRED, "Marfa, Texas Is Getting Its Own Solar-Powered Stonehenge," 16 May 2018
One was in full strut while the other craned its neck, looking for what had made the yelps.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Fulfillment on Gobbler's Ridge comes from more than just harvesting turkeys," 12 May 2018

First Known Use of crane

1570

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

crane Synonyms

Crane

biographical name \ ˈkrān \

Definition of Crane

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

biographical name

Definition of Crane

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

CRANE Defined for English Language Learners

crane

noun

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

: a big machine with a long arm that is used by builders for lifting and moving heavy things
: a type of tall bird that has a long neck and long legs and lives near water

crane

verb

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

: to stretch out (your neck) in order to see better

CRANE Defined for Kids

crane

noun \ ˈkrān \

Definition of crane for Students

1 : a large tall wading bird with a long neck, bill, and legs

2 : a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights

crane

verb

Definition of crane for Students

craned; craning

: to stretch the neck to see better

Neighbors craned out the window to see the parade.

Learn More about crane

See words that rhyme with crane Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crane Spanish Central: Translation of crane Nglish: Translation of crane for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crane for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crane

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crane

Definition of crane

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

Illustration of crane

Origin and Etymology of crane

Other Civil Engineering Terms

crane

Definition of crane

Examples of crane in a Sentence

Recent Examples of crane from the Web

First Known Use of crane

crane Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Crane

Definition of Crane

Crane

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Crane

Definition of Crane

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CRANE Defined for English Language Learners

crane

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

crane

Definition of crane for English Language Learners

CRANE Defined for Kids

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Definition of crane for Students

crane

Definition of crane for Students

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